Desperate Measures
by YesNoMaybeIdk
Summary: When Peach decides to end her own life, Mario successfully rescues her. Another adventure begins, one that, with the help of new friends, has the sole purpose of eradicating the source of all the chaos: a tyrant king and his ruthless reign.
1. A Threat All Too Real

**I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack . . .**

**With another story!**

**Disclaimer: Last time I checked, I wasn't Shigeru Myamoto, who owns all of his epic Mario characters. I only own my OCs. I shall redundantly list them here, for those who haven't read my profile:**

**Sean**

**Katrina**

**Aaron**

**Hannah**

**Ryan**

**Now, about the story: This is a remake of a story I started when I was in the fifth grade. Well okay it was more of a game than a story. By seventh grade it made its way onto my desktop, but then I never finished it and later got my netbook of coolness, which is now the home for my Mariomance stuff. Basically, this story is my iddea of how Bowser was finally defeated. (I looked him up on Mario Wiki last night; can you believe in the first boss battle in NSMB he actually DIED once the player hit the kill switch? But then Bowser Junior just HAD to throw Dry Bowser into that cauldron . . . -_-) This is the first time I am putting in boss battles and such. Since I am very pacifist, I have not had much experience with describing fights. So, in your reviews, please please please PLEASE critique my writing-about-fighting style! :0 **

**On with the story. EEEEP!  
**

* * *

For a year now they had been going through the motions. He'd battle the Koopas, the Goombas, and all the other enemies until he came to the ruthless Bowser. Surprisingly, Bowser was very evil and cunning, with an elite army and empire at his disposal, though the only place he would battle would be his own castle, with a kill switch easily two-hundred feet away from the plumber on a stone bridge, positioned above lava.

Lava=scalding hot at loads of degrees=THE STUFF CAN KILL YOU.

She would wait in a stone cell, bruised and battered, and usually crying, but occasionally she'd stay silent out of fear. The first kidnapping came with a nasty shove into her small prison; the second, a shove and a slap across the face; the third, the first two and a shaking coupled with a "SHUT UP!" when she tried to stand up for herself. Now, here she was once again. The koopa king had told her he wanted to take over her kingdom and marry her.

The previously mentioned strategy=basically forcing her kingdom into slavery=building an even more elite army against the Toads' will=killing off all the other countries to finally rule the world=WE'RE DOOMED.

But the plumber saved her, every time.

Yet, though she'd come back home safely in her hero's arms, thousands of harmful thoughts plagued her conscience every day. This kidnapping didn't help to change anything: the dank atmosphere made her feel so depressed and lonely. 

_He shouldn't have to go through this for me. I'm twenty-two years old, a princess, a ruler of an entire kingdom, and I can't even protect it or my friends. I'm weak and pathetic, but Mario refuses to believe that. Why?_

"All I do is sit by myself and cry," she told herself bitterly, and shut her eyes tightly. Then she wiped her knuckles against her brow. Having such an extravagant hairstyle, not to mention a full gown and a pitiful excuse for a place to sleep right near tons of molten rock made Peach sweat like heck.

_ And why does Bowser hurt me so much? If someone truly loved me, he wouldn't abuse me; I know that much if not more about love. I'm so pathetic that only now do I have someone who truly cares about me. Mario says I shouldn't believe what Bowser tells me. But I just don't know . . ._

STOMP. STOMP. STOMP.

"LOOK AT ME!"

Peach shifted her weary eyes to her captor's angry, sneering face. "Yes, Bowser?" she mumbled.

Bowser said nothing. He just stared at her. Then, he thrust his way into the metal cell.

Peach backed away against the wall. Her hands were tied. She brought her arms together and covered her chest and then bent her knees to protect the rest of her. Puny self-defense, she knew, but there was nothing else she could do.

"Stop crying," Bowser yelled. "I'm not going to touch you."

"Yelling at me isn't going to fix anything!" Peach sobbed. "You know that! You're just too full of ego to let your pride down! And you know this is wrong!"

"So what are you going to do about it?" Bowser retorted, grinning sinisterly. "I have the key to this dungeon - and your heart."

"What do you mean?" Peach whispered.

"I know you love him. The whole kingdom knows it. My kingdom knows it. An atom-sized part of me is actually amazed that he can get his lazy butt all the way up here. But he knows I want to marry you. My fighting strategies haven't been good in the past, I admit, but I know everyone is vulnerable in these three areas: The midsection, the chest - preferably the heart - and the head. And I also know that everyone will succumb to third degree burns and bone-crushing weight. So I'd sit back and think about how you want your wedding dress to look. After this you'll never see your hero's face. I have been practicing since you've been gone."

Peach gulped. "No," she whispered. "You don't mean that. You know he'll win."

"I don't think he stands a chance today," Bowser sneered. "You should take me seriously. There's nothing you can do." The gigantic koopa-dragon stormed out of the dungeon corridor, leaving behind a terribly frightened princess and a heart stabbed - not with a knife, but with a threat as sharp as one, and it seemed all too truthful. Clearly Bowser preferred the heart. He'd just managed to kill hers without even touching her, and now he was going to exercise his plan for murdering her beloved hero.

"No," Peach choked again, and burst into a fresh batch of tears.


	2. The Nightmare Begins

BAM!

The arena doors flew open.

Mario stared Bowser down. "I want to know what you've done with her and I want to know _now._"

Bowser scoffed. "I didn't do anything. She's in the same room as usual. But if she doesn't keep quiet I might have to move her to more . . . deplorable conditions to make my point."

"Right. Do your subjects suffer this kind of punishment as often as Peach?"

"I have no need to do that to them. They are rather loyal."

"You force them to be."

"They have no other choice," Bowser returned, and charged toward the stout plumber. Mario was prepared. His archenemy pulled the same beginning tricks every time. Right on cue, Mario somersaulted over the beastly tyrant. Bowser tried to engulf him with a barrage of flames. Mario swiftly avoided them and proceeded to give his foe a hearty _whack!_ to the stomach with his mallet. Bowser heaved and stumbled backwards.

Both stood opposite from each other for quite some time, panting heavily.

After he gained strength, Bowser dove into his shell and spun rapidly toward the red hero. Unfortunately Mario couldn't avoid the blow in time. As he landed from the impact he quickly covered his head with his hands. "Unngh," he grunted, and stood up. His sleeves and the skin underneath were scraped by skidding on the rough, dirty bridge.

Bowser eyed Mario with satisfaction at the hurt he just caused him. "Die, plumber," he roared, charging for the hero once more. Before he got to Mario, though, he turned, flipped, and performed his shell move again-this time, spike side down.

Mario's eyes widened. He dashed out from under his enemy. Bowser landed in the limestone, producing several cracks in it. But the damage to his spikes produced a surge of raging pain far worse than the initial contact with the concrete.

"CRAP," he swore. "CRAP, CRAP, CRAP!" Bowser struggled to break free and upright himself.

Seizing this opportunity, Mario ran to Bowser, pulled out his mallet, and delivered a hard blow to Bowser's body, injuring the beast instantly. "GRAGH!" the mutant roared. "RAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!" Deep bruises remained.

Mario went lower and began hitting Bowser's shell. He immediately fractured the rim and scraped several scales. Bowser growled deeply. Just before he could brace for it, Mario backed up, gave a running start, and performed a ground-pound onto the tyrant's belly. "HHHHHHHAAAAAACK!" cried Bowser. Finally, Mario proceeded to the kill switch. He decided to hang on for a couple of moments.

Somehow, Bowser was managing to free himself from the cracks by leaning to the side. He lurched to the right, then to the left, sinking again into the cracks. As the brute tried again, Mario ran to his location, whacked Bowser with the hammer, and sent him toppling over the bridge. He dashed to the kill switch and ended the job, escaping the falling bricks with no last words from his opponent.

Racing down the dungeon corridor, Mario desperately searched for Peach's cell. _Please be okay,_ he prayed.

He stumbled upon a guard. Grabbing him by the throat, he shouted, "Where's Peach?"

Struggling to breathe, the guard pointed in the east direction. "Cell number fah-fa-hack!-five," he wheezed. Mario set him off to the side. The startled soldier ran away.

"If you're lying I'm going to throw you into the lava with your king!" the plumber called after him. Finally arriving at Peach's location just a few minutes later, Mario unlocked the door, entered, untied her hands, and enveloped her in a warm embrace. Peach solemnly returned the gesture. Not saying a word, Mario scanned over his princess. He slid her gloves off to make sure there weren't any lacerations. Looking at her face he saw mostly dirt covering her cheeks but no blood. The dirt was streaked with spaces of pale skin from Peach's tears. Helping her stand up, Mario inspected Peach's abdomen for any cuts or rips. Nothing there either. Mostly dirt and soot stains.

"Any headaches?" Mario queried.

"Just him," Peach quipped, offering a joke. Mario chuckled softly. "I'm pretty sure I don't have a concussion."

"Good." The red clad scooped Peach up bridal style and quickly filed out of the hell that was Dark Land Castle.

Back home, Peach was greeted by Toadsworth and the castle doctors. Mario stayed with her as they treated her injuries and gave her water. Both the steward and princess thanked the plumber once again. Just before he left, Mario gave Peach a sweet kiss goodbye and walked home.

* * *

After everyone left the room, Peach fell into a long sleep. The evil thoughts started again in her dreams. Most of the quotes were Bowser's jeers:

_You good for nothing piece of . . . !_

_There's nothing you can do._

_SHUT UP!_

_He doesn't stand a chance._

_You're weak! Pathetic! _

_It's YOUR fault Mario has to run all the way up here. YOUR fault._

_YOUR FAULT . . ._

But then they became mixed with some of her thoughts.

_I'm twenty-two, a princess, and I can't even protect my kingdom or my friends._

_There's nothing I can do._

_Nothing . . ._

_Nothing . . ._

_

* * *

_"Hey, Bro," said Mario as he entered back into the house he shared with Luigi.

"Wow. You look stunning," quipped Luigi, eyeing the many stains across Mario's uniform. "How are you feeling?"

"Exhausted, as usual," Mario replied. Both entered into their bedroom.

"Oh. Ugh! Well, when you get a shower, hand me your clothes. They smell worse than Bowser."

"Now that's saying something," Mario returned. He stepped into the shower. Grudgingly Luigi took his brother's clothes and tossed them into the washer. He smirked. At least his brother smelled bad for a good cause. The older twin smiled thoughtfully, thankful that his brother got home safely.

After Mario exited the shower, he began his short but regular nighttime routine: dry hair. Pull on PJs. Brush teeth. Gargle. Rinse. Hop into bed.

He set his phone down on his bedside table, immediately remembering to set his alarm for three o'clock. The brothers had planned a golf game tomorrow afternoon.

Luigi made himself some tea and set the porcelain cup and saucer on his bedside. He stepped over to Mario and took his brother's hand. Mario sat up. "Um, I'm not really in the mood to pray, Bro."

"Okay, then I will." Luigi released his grip and folded his own hands together. "Dear God, thank You for this day. Bless my brother and his lovely princess. Please keep them both safe on future adventures. And, God, help Mario to know that You love him, even if he's not sure about You yet. Um, and . . . that's about it. Thank You. Amen."

Without saying a word, Luigi left his brother's side and crawled into bed. Mario thought about his brother's prayer. Why was Luigi so sure that there was a God? Sure, their parents taught them the simple "now I lay me down to sleep" prayer when they were younger. But none of the family had ever been to church. How did Luigi know? Oh, yeah, Mario thought. That kid . . . what was his name? Sean. He taught them karate and he was pretty skilled with a boomerang. The older brother had always looked up to him. But then he moved away. Mario had a crush on his sister, Katrina, once. She was younger, but she babysat them from time to time. Once Sean took Luigi to his youth group, and after that Luigi would talk about God nonstop. But religion never really grew on Mario.

Well, Mario thought again, turning over, if there is a God, He'd better give Peach her angel wings, because power-ups don't work on princesses.

* * *

**Indeed, I like to include crises of faith and/or mentions of God in my stories. He deserves the credit for giving me the ability to write.**

**So. We all agree Bowser doesn't stand a chance, right? Yeah. No one's gonna die just yet.**

**R&R and PBTY.  
**


	3. Donning Angel Wings

The night was muggy. Peach had been trying to fight off those thoughts for five hours straight. Finally, she woke up.

_I'm so tired of being here . . ._

_Suppressed by all my childish fears . . ._

She stifled a sob. During her sleep, she'd realized something: if she wasn't in the picture, Mario wouldn't have to risk his life. She loved him dearly, but the previous chaos had taken a huge toll on her emotions. The princess decided she didn't want to take it anymore. And the only way to escape was to take matters into her own hands.

Grabbing her robe, she slipped quietly out of her bedroom and, after giving little pecks on the cheek to sleeping Toadsworth, Toad, Toadette, and her other servants, she decided to head up to the castle roof.

* * *

_BZZZZZZ! BZZZZZ! BZZZZ!_

"Mrgh," Mario mumbled. His nerves were jolted. His alarm was going off.

"3:00 a.m.? What in the heck . . .?" he asked himself after he shut off his cell phone alarm.

The phone gave him no aid. To add to the confusion, a text message popped up.

**~FROM: PEACH**

**I love you. But I'm tired of this. If you want, come to the castle and say goodbye. I'll miss you.**

**SENT: 3:03 a.m.~**

Something was gravely wrong. Deciding not to delay by replying, Mario jumped out of bed, threw his overalls on over his pajamas, jammed his shoes on, and grabbed a spare wing cap. He sprinted outside, took a running start, and was soon en route to Peach's castle.

* * *

Tears were flowing down her cream-colored face like a river. Peach could barely get a hold of herself. Is this how people felt before they tried to kill themselves: shaky? Scared? Almost hysterical, at least on the inside? Whatever was supposed to happen, Peach knew she felt so bad she wanted to die.

The tears were so salty they began drying her lips as she hugged her knees. She stared off into the moonlight and listened to the eerie quiet.

She rose and scanned the horizon. She'd jump into the moat; at least then she wouldn't land on something hard. Clenching her fists, she took a step forward. Then another. And another. . . .

* * *

Mario pushed against the air. The wings were helping him gain a lot of mileage. Every few minutes he took a couple of looks downward to see if Peach was just running away.

All in all, this was too strange. What did she mean by "I'm tired of this"? Did she want to break up?

Then again, Mario thought, this doesn't sound like a breakup. She's _inviting _me to say goodbye to her. So either she's running away or . . .

Oh no.

No freaking way.

"PEACH!" screamed Mario.

* * *

Jump, her mind told her. Jump already!

Moving as rigidly as a robot, Peach took another step and another minute. Something inside her was conflicting with the depressing thoughts. Something was telling her not to do it. But isn't that what always happens? "NO, DON'T DO IT!" people on reality TV would scream. Well, what if it was necessary? Like now? This way, Bowser couldn't torture her, Mario, Luigi, or the kingdom anymore. After all, the only reason he's kidnapping her is to marry her, right? And it seemed it was only Peach that suffered. No other princess kidnappings had been reported. Without her he wouldn't have authority to take over her kingdom. Peach knew what the MK law books said.

But, then . . . her friends would still suffer. Bowser might move to another princess with no brave soul to rescue her. And what would the kingdom do without its beloved princess?

"It'll just have to go on," Peach sobbed silently. "Clearly I wasn't made for this."

Just before she jumped, she took one last longing look at the sky.

Then, she took her leave, not noticing a black splotch against the moonlight, which became more noticeable as it neared her. It zoomed in, seemingly at the speed of light, and as she fell, the shadowy being, whatever it was, engulfed her.

In the middle of it all, she blacked out.

_Splash._


	4. Earthly Advice, Heavenly Secrets

She rose to the surface of the water, not making a sound. She lay peacefully. No conscious thoughts bothered her. No one could touch her. She wouldn't have to see Mario be killed. Mario wouldn't have to go through such torture anymore. She wouldn't have to be abused.

But Mario never saw any of it - trekking, rescuing, battling, none of it - as torture. He was doing this because he loved her. Why didn't she believe him? Probably because of that dumb beast. Physical and emotional abuse went down all the time. Peach must have been completely drained to do such a thing. He never knew she was so . . . depressed? No, no, not depressed. Just upset. Scared. That's it, he thought. Maybe she's just afraid. And it's been eating away at her heart because of all the bullying.

He was just glad that she didn't use her royal authority on him and order him not to save her from dying.

As fast as he could, for he knew Peach had fallen unconscious, Mario carried her to the ladder leading into the vast moat. Holding her in one arm and pulling himself up with the other, he pulled her and himself to safety.

Mario ran to a nearby tree. He knelt down, cradling his beloved with both arms, and leaned close to make sure she was breathing.

Check. Somehow, she was, even though she didn't hold her breath underwater.

Any injuries? None that he could see.

"What am I going to do with you?" he whispered. He didn't care if she'd be mad at him for saving her (now THAT would be a first!)

"Peach," he called softly, but frantically, "Peach, wake up!"

Her vision went from dark, to semi-dark, to blurry, to completely light-filled. Slowly, her feeling came back. She could sense that she was in someone's arms.

Peach looked at Mario, wondering if this was heaven, and how exactly Mario got there. For some strange reason heaven looked a lot like the Mushroom Kingdom . . .

"Wha . . . Mario? Huh?" Peach murmured.

Overjoyed, Mario pulled her close and kissed her out of pure relief. Peach felt heat burn in her cheeks and mindlessly wrapped her arms around him. Suddenly, she pulled away, realizing that she was still in her nightgown - and still alive.

"What the heck just happened?" she questioned, staring at her hands. "I thought - "

"You thought wrong, Peach, very wrong," Mario stated grimly. Suddenly he felt very angry and hurt. "You're alive. You're still here with me and there's nothing I want more. Now. You tell me what the heck just happened!" he cried, feeling a tear escape his eye.

Peach gasped. "I, um . . . I . . ."

"You sent me a text telling me to come and say goodbye! I have a pretty good idea what made you do this, but I just don't understand why you would abandon your kingdom, and your friends, without having a sliver of hope whatsoever that just maybe we can get through this!"

Peach stood up and swiftly tied her robe together. "But, Mario, don't you freaking get it? You can't do everything for me! Since I'm still here you are still at risk of being killed!"

"I DON'T CARE!" Mario yelled, rising to meet her. "I LOVE YOU! MAYBE I CAN'T DO EVERYTHING BUT I AM STRIVING TO DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO GET YOU BACK HOME SAFELY! WHO DO YOU SEE HERE, HUH? IF BOWSER SAID HE WAS GOING TO KILL ME LAST TIME HE SURE DID A LOUSY JOB! TELL ME ONE REASON WHY I SHOULD JUST GIVE UP AND LET YOU GIVE UP ON YOURSELF!"

"BECAUSE CLEARLY, MARIO, I AM NOT CUT OUT FOR ANY OF THIS . . . THIS . . ." Peach struggled to find the right word. "THIS CRAP! THAT'S WHAT IT IS! I'M FORCED TO STAY IN A FREAKING CAGE, WITH NO KNOWLEDGE WHATSOEVER OF HOW YOU'RE DOING! I DON'T SEE THE POINT IN RESCUING A STUPID DAMSEL IN DISTRESS WHO CAN'T SOLVE HER OWN PROBLEMS! LOOK AT ME! I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO LAND ONE PUNCH ON THAT IDIOT!"

"OH, MY GOSH, PEACH, DO YOU EVEN HEAR YOURSELF RIGHT NOW?" Mario stopped himself from continuing to yell and lowered his voice. "Forget that! I want to know why, of all the rash decisions a princess, especially you, could make, you decided suicide was the best solution. Did you even consider how I could help or how I feel about all this? No, because you don't want to believe me when I say I want to or that I love you! I know you're not weak or pathetic!"

"What choice do I have? What, you're just going to tell me I have the most beautiful hair and shining eyes and sweet smile and kind attitude and all these little fluffy things, right? Maybe I do, but that's on the outside! Truthfully I'm totally helpless!"

"No, you're not! Listen to me. A weak princess would leave her kingdom in the dirt. She wouldn't care about her subjects or her friends or how to care for them. A pathetic princess wouldn't be trying her hardest to help the economy, or train her army, while trying to work to build her friendships on top of her romantic relationship! You've battled a bunch of Bowser-sized problems and stood up for yourself. That's far from pathetic to me."

Peach was speechless.

"And another thing: you're not helpless. You have many friends who love you and a kingdom that will do whatever it can to help you solve this problem."

Peach nodded slowly, realizing that Mario was right.

"And yet another thing: maybe you do want to engage in battle with Bowser . . . don't take this the wrong way, but I strongly advise you not to. Stupid as he may be, he is skilled in fire breathing and many different attacks. I am not saying you're weak. But just imagine what would happen if you put yourself in a melee with him. You would be killed almost instantly. I appreciate that you fear for my safety, but I'd rather fight for you than to see you fight and be harmed." At this Mario embraced Peach in a hug. "I love you way too much to let that happen."

And then, he cried. And cried. And cried.

Peach was amazed. Forget the fact that she'd never seen Mario get so emotional; she was stunned by how much he was WILLING to risk his life for her.

"Oh, Mario . . . I love you too," she whispered, letting herself sink into her hero's embrace. "I'm so sorry."

She released her tears as well, burying her face in her hands, as tons of mixed feelings came overflowing over her face and covering Mario's sleeve. Suddenly all of those terrifying thoughts disappeared.

"Now," Mario said, wiping his eyes. "I don't want to hear any more apologies. I don't want to hear another word from you. I am going to carry you straight into that castle and take you to your room and stand right outside your door until you snore the loudest you possibly can."

Peach giggled shakily. "I don't snore!"

"Oh, yes you do. Yeah, girl, I've heard you when you'd doze off during a movie. You're a monster truck," he quipped, picking her up. "Now what did I tell you about not saying anything else?"

"You said I don't want to hear another word, but what you didn't say was 'I give Peach permission to beat the snot out of me for comparing me to a monster truck!' And as princess I feel I have the right to do so."

"Good girl, you're standing up for yourself," said Mario.

"What, was that a test?" asked Peach as they arrived upstairs.

"No, I was just hoping you'd take your mind off of beating me up if I congratulated you," Mario joked, accepting a well-deserved flick to the nose, but also, a final passionate kiss goodnight.

* * *

Yet, there was one thing Peach still didn't understand.

The next day, she had retrieved her phone from the top of the castle and scrolled through her Outbox archive. And she found nothing that resembled what Mario was talking about.

So how did he know she needed help?


	5. Remember Me?

**All right, one teeny lil' AN and then I'm done interrupting. Just a few little things you might want to know:**

**~Yes, I know it's messed up that this story is taking place in 2006, since it contradicts with game plotlines and the fact that I'd said Mario had only been battling Bowser for a year. But, in actuality, this story, though under reconstruction, is actually based off of a game I made up in my fifth grade year. And, if you read The Waiting Game, Mario and Peach's first child is born in 2010, when both of them are 26. In this story they are 22. So meh. **

**~Sean and Aaron are actually characters from a certain Nickelodeon TV show that premiered around '04 or '05. However, "Sean" and "Aaron" are actually pseudonyms for the real characters. I just wanted to avoid lengthening my disclaimer. The only hint I'm gonna give about the real characters is this:**

**S_ _ _ _**

**A a _ _**

**So. Whose names do Sean and Aaron replace? Ignore the number of letters in my characters' names! Focus on the little puzzle I gave you or the fact that Sean begins with an S and Aaron has two As in it. Mwahaha.**

**Happy reading. See that? I just made this page longer. Yay! No shrimpy chapter five! :)  
**

* * *

Chapter Five

Bowser was still in his bed, unable to move. He was still unable to function after the previous battle. A lone soldier came in and turned Bowser on his side using a special machine to keep his spikes from being stressed under pressure.

"Grrraaack," he growled. "Call Kamek! NOW!"

"Kamek," the recruit relayed into the intercom, "His Surliness wishes to see you in his hospital room."

"(Sigh) Tell him I'll b-b-b-b (static) e right there," Kamek replied over the static.

"If that good-for-nothing doesn't get here in five minutes . . ."

"Easy, Sire," the soldier responded softly. "Don't get your blood pressure up."

"AW, SHUT UP! Can't you see I have no need for your encouragement?" Bowser snapped. "GET OUT!"

"Yes, sir. I'll be back at 5:00 with your food." The soldier saluted the king and walked calmly out of the room.

The soldier, who was about 32, shook his head. He'd been working for the beast for twelve years already, but his patience with Bowser was almost at its breaking point. He felt this mess was a whole waste of time. The only reason he decided to stay in the castle was to try and find his sister. At the start of his stay, he, along with his sister and best friend, were kidnapped by Koopa soldiers. The three were forced to perform their abilities for Bowser, and Bowser, upon observation, decided to have the boys stay and work for him while the girl was sent into a separate district. Her brother, who was two years older, hadn't a clue of her well-being. Every night, he'd pray for her safety.

"Sean," Aaron cried, running up to him. "I've been looking for you all day!"

"I've been with the doof," Sean moaned. "Hey! What are you doing away from your post?"

"Well, my assignment today was to work on my training. Apparently every recruit here is supposed to work on his skills in order to 'stand strongly against unwanted company.'" Aaron shrugged.

"Get back to your dorm. I'll see you there." Sean sent his friend away. The kid was like a brother to him, and Sean wouldn't have Bowser scorching Aaron's butt for being somewhere he shouldn't.

Suddenly his shellceiver rang. Bracing for impact, Sean pressed talk. "Yes?"

"Get your butt in my room. I need to talk to you. NOW, SOLDIER!"

"Yes, Bowser," Sean replied.

Stepping back into Bowser's dank quarters, Sean saluted the king.

Bowser grinned maliciously. "Now listen here. You've been promoted to do a special assignment for me."

"Continue," said Sean.

"Since I am in no shape to battle, I want to have you carry out an important part of my plan. Do you know which direction the Mushroom Kingdom is?"

Sean nodded.

"Many times I've been trying to, uh, expand my territory, and the Mushroom Kingdom has been a much needed piece of the cake. The princess Peach, who controls that kingdom, has agreed to marry me. But many times she has not come to visit me to finish the deal. I am beginning to get tired of her antics. Here's my proposition: since you are quite skilled in carrot . . . Kara . . ."

"Kah-rah-tee," Sean slowly pronounced.

"Whatever! I want you to enter her castle and ask her to come and see me. And if she refuses - she might very well, for we've been having some problems lately - you must take her by force."

Sean felt his knees tremble. Was Bowser implying that he should kidnap an actual princess?

"And furthermore . . . to avoid any interruption, I want you to visit another special place before you pay any attention to the castle. Kamek!" Kamek produced a vision of a rather simple household. Half of the roof was green; half of it was red.

"And what exactly do you propose to have me do there?" Sean inquired.

"I want you to engage in battle with the two men that reside there. This is where your carrot skills come in. Fight to the finish, soldier. Either render them incapacitated or completely dead. Then you may make your move on the Mushroom Castle."

"Y-yes, sir." Sean weakly saluted Bowser once more.

"Do I hear hesitation?" Bowser growled.

"No, sir," Sean lied with a firm voice. _Oh, God, please forgive me._

"Very well. Be on your way. And if you fail, I will feed you to the Chain Chomps," warned Bowser.

"Yes, Bowser," said Sean. He exited once more and headed straight to his room to pack.

Back at the dorm, Sean told Aaron of his mission.

"No way!" exclaimed Aaron. "The princess?"

"Yes," Sean said slowly. "I have a feeling Bowser is lying. No way would anyone want to marry him."

"Maybe Bowser doesn't really need her. He's that strong; he could take over the MK in, like, five minutes."

"And maybe those men in that house keep trying to stop him," Sean concluded.

"Do you want me to come with you?" asked Aaron.

"Nah. You know how much trouble you'll be in if you go AWOL."

Aaron nodded wistfully. "You're not really going to fight them, are you, Sean?"

Sean looked at the concrete floor. "I don't know, Aaron. But I have a feeling I won't have to."

* * *

The trip was a three-day journey northward. This was without boss battles since Sean was recognized as one of Bowser's minions. It also contained travel through many warp zones. Sean hoped that the route his captors used was trustworthy in order to reach his destination.

Finally he crossed the border into World 1. Sean stayed in a hotel for the night. The staff there provided him with a comfortable bed and some items to keep his HP in check. Sean had learned that once you come into the MK from the real world, normal vital signs are still measured, but strength also becomes a vital sign and is measured in HP.

After his stay, Sean journeyed to the house Kamek had shown him. It could almost be described as a log cabin. Mailbox in the front, small flowers in the backyard . . . and the whole vicinity was bordered by trees. Sean desperately hoped the people he was ordered to battle weren't Toads like the rest of the MK population.

What was interesting about the house was that the part facing him was painted red and had an M hovering over the doorstep. The recruit guessed that the other half was green.

Suddenly, in the middle of his trance, a paratroopa wizzed by Sean. He appeared to be the mailman, not looking at all threatening. "MAIL CALL!" he shouted. Without looking where he was going, the troopa accidentally bumped into Sean's head, sending him backwards onto the ground. "OOF!" the creature and the human chorused.

As Parakarry regained stability, he studied Sean, not having a clue who this outsider was. But then he saw the insignia of Bowser's head embedded in the man's clothing.

"OH, MY STARS! MARIO! LUIGI! Y-you two have an . . . aaa-aaa-aaah!" The startled mail carrier flew away at the speed of light.

"Hey, hey!" Sean called after him. "I'm not what you think I am!" Looking at his uniform, Sean thought, _At least, I don't want to be._

Suddenly the soldier came face-to-face with a confused Luigi. "Uh . . ."

"Who are you?" Luigi asked the man. Then, upon noting the uniform style, Luigi narrowed his eyes. "Take off your mask," he ordered.

Sean obeyed. "Listen, I realize I look threatening, but I - OW!" Luigi, without warning, had punched Sean blank-point. In just a few seconds blood came trickling out of his nose.

"Dude, what is your problem?" Sean yelled at the plumber.

"My problem," Luigi began, rolling up his sleeves, "is you. Any friend of Bowser's is NOT a friend of ours. And especially not the princess's." The green clad took another shot and whacked Sean upside the head.

_You're not going to fight them, are you?_ Aaron's voice echoed in his mind. A beeping sound coming from the watch on Sean's wrist suddenly displayed his HP reading. Already it was lowering.

"What is that?" Luigi barked. "You have five seconds to answer."

"Why don't you just look?" Sean growled, more temperamental than usual because of the pain. "My HP is down because you're beating me up."

"Oh, good. Then I'll continue." Another punch and the one-sided fistfight turned into a wrestling match. Sean's olive-colored skin became bruised and part of his pants soon tore. The men's hands were intertwined, pushing against each other as they rolled across the grass. Even on Luigi's clothing one could tell he'd received grass stains. A quick look behind him and Luigi noticed items sticking out of the outsider's knapsack.

"Now you're a thief, huh? Should've guessed." Luigi threw a punch to Sean's cheekbone.

"SHUT UP! JUDGE NOT, LEST YE BE JUDGED!" screamed Sean, giving up. He threw Luigi off of him, holding his throbbing jaw. Suddenly Luigi changed his tune.

"That's a Bible verse," the plumber noted.

Sean nodded in reply. "I've been to youth group before."

"So have I," said Luigi. "But if you're a Christian, why are you working for Bowser?"

"It was completely involuntary. My sister and best friend and I were kidnapped almost immediately after we arrived here." Sean wiped his bleeding nose.

"Where did you come from?"

"Brooklyn."

"_Brooklyn?_ As in Brooklyn, New York? Small world, dude! My brother Mario and I also came here from Brooklyn."

"Wait - your _brother_ _Mario?_ Oh, my gosh," Sean whispered. "Luigi?"

"Yeah?"

"My name's Sean. I don't know if you remember me, but . . ."

Luigi took yet another closer look at Sean. His dark hair was brown enough to match his olive skin. He had a youthful look to his face. Definitely familiar, but . . .

"Can I take a look in your bag?" Luigi asked. Sean nodded.

1-Ups, Mushrooms, Refreshing Herbs, blanket, boomerang.

Boomerang.

"Oh, my gosh. Sean!" Luigi cried, running over to the soldier. "My deepest apologies. I had no idea - "

"It's okay, Luigi, it's okay," Sean assured the distraught plumber as he was raised up.

"No way, dude! I owe you one!"

"Nah, just . . ." Suddenly Sean stumbled backward. He felt strangely weak. "Aw man," he whispered as he noticed his bloodstained clothes. His vision became rather blurry.

"Help," he whispered just before he hit the ground.


	6. Explanations, Planning, and Lots o' Pain

Sean awoke to the rubbery feeling of bandages wrapped under his chin. He could sense his nose had stopped bleeding. And he also had an IV hooked up to his arm.

But the milieu did not resemble a hospital. It looked more like a basement, with plenty of stone walls to boot.

"Wha . . ." Sean tried to sit up.

Mario and Luigi hovered over him. "Uh, Sean?" Mario asked. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Yeah, I guess. My jaw still hurts."

"Then don't talk," Mario rebuked. "Looks like you'll be out of commission for a couple of days."

Suddenly Sean was wide-awake. "Oh, Mario, I can't be. This will get me in so much trouble."

Luigi leaned over and whispered something to his brother. Mario nodded.

"That doesn't matter," said Mario. "The entire castle is on lockdown. Guards are positioned everywhere."

"I thought the MK army wasn't strong enough against Bowser. He says they rank three in the top ten."

"That was in the nineties. Bowser's army is a six, and now so is Peach's. She has all of the soldiers training in the World districts."

"Oh."

"We brought in all of World 2's soldiers to guard the castle. You should be safe."

Peach walked into the room.

"How's he doing?" she asked.

"Better," Sean mumbled. "Augh!" he cried, holding his jaw.

"Sean, I said to shut up. You're not going to get any better if you keep this up." Mario smirked.

"But I am curious," said Luigi.

"About what?" Mario queried, wondering what Luigi was talking about.

"About how you suddenly appeared here. Is this where you and your family moved to?"

"Actually, I only came here with Katrina and Aaron when I turned eighteen. At the time Aaron was only fourteen and Katrina was sixteen. But only a few days after we arrived, Bowser's troops attacked us at our house."

"Why in the world would they attack you? You're not a star child," said Peach.

"Well, they did, and we were brought to Bowser. At first he didn't want us but then the soldiers forced us to perform our special gifts."

"What exactly are your gifts?" Peach asked.

"Well, I'm a black belt in karate. But Katrina can manipulate water and use it to fight. And Aaron can do that, too, but he also can manipulate fire and rock. It's pretty amazing. We were captured during a practice outside our house." Sean lowered his eyes.

"I see," said Mario. "I can also fight with fire and Luigi can generate electricity. But that's besides power-ups. I'm pretty sure those would work for anyone."

Peach grimaced. "Actually, I was born without the ability to use them. The power-ups have chemicals that bind to cells in the body, but upon experimentation a handful of people were born without those receptors. And that was discovered around . . . '89, I think. I was five."

"Huh. That's interesting. So I hear you and Bowser are having trouble with your marriage plans?" Sean inquired innocently, changing the subject.

Peach was startled. "He and I aren't getting married. I don't love him at all. Where did you hear that?"

"He told me to come here, fight Mario and Luigi, and take you by force if you refused to come with me peacefully. Now, I have no intentions of causing any harm. I hate being his recruit. But he said you agreed to marry him. I don't know why he would assign me the job of kidnapping you. A princess, no less." Sean chuckled uneasily, trying to add levity.

Peach shook her head. "Actually, Sean, that's usually his job. It has been for a year now. What he wants is my kingdom. Mario went to fight him about three weeks ago. I think he sent you to do his work." A tear escaped her eye. "It wouldn't be the first time he's used anyone for ill-conceived purposes."

Suddenly Sean became very angry. "I knew he shouldn't be trusted! OWW!" The poor man rubbed his throbbing mandible. He quieted down. "How could he do that?"

"He's that strong," Mario said gravely. "And since there are no soldiers stationed in this neck of the kingdom, Bowser hasn't received any resistance when he abducts Peach."

Sean looked incredulous. "Why the heck don't you have soldiers here!"

Peach stiffened. "There isn't anywhere for them to live in World 1. They left to train in the other districts. But even if I tried to call a branch, they wouldn't be able to get here in time."

"So I usually chase after Bowser and battle him," said Mario. "And sometimes Luigi comes along with me."

"I'm really thankful that I have these two," said Peach, offering a small smile.

The atmosphere quieted. Sean reflected on the conversation for a few moments. Luigi kicked at some dust. Mario and Peach held hands.

"It's good to know you guys are still together," said Sean. "But I really miss Katrina. She's being held by Bowser Jr. in the outskirts of the Dark Lands." He wiped a tear from his eye.

"What about Aaron?" Mario asked.

"He and I both work in the Dark Land castle. I usually know what's going on with him."

"Oh." Mario thought for a moment. "What do you think is happening with Katrina?"

"I don't know. Hopefully she hasn't been given an arranged marriage to Junior."

"That I highly doubt," said Luigi. "Junior hasn't even reached puberty yet."

Sean sighed. "I have no idea what to do."

The group shared a moment of silence.

Then Sean perked up.

"How long will I be in this cast?"

"Well, with the healing medicine that's coursing through you, probably about two days. Why?"

"I know Bowser said something about meeting Junior next week. And he's taking his whole army. I'm thinking I could sneak in and get Katrina out. Then we could all come back here."

"A mighty fine idea," Peach remarked. "Uh, Luigi, would you like to go with him?"

"I'm not sure, Peach," Luigi replied, rocking back and forth on his feet.

"Huh. That's an awfully small amount of courage for a person who beat me up just hours ago," said Sean, smirking.

Peach's eyes widened. She turned to Luigi. "Why in the world did you do that to him?"

"I didn't know it was him! I thought he was one of Bowser's troops based upon his uniform." Luigi shook his head. "Anyway, I'm not sure I should."

"Come on, Luigi," Mario urged. "You need to get out and have an adventure."

"But Bowser will probably recognized me right away, won't he?"

"Grab a mini mushroom and sneak in with Sean. Then . . . hmmm . . ." Mario put his hand to his chin.

"Then you can stay in the dorm with me and Aaron." Sean brightened. "I'm sure they have spare uniforms around for you to use. The mask will cover your face. And you may want to use a pseudonym."

Luigi nodded. "That might work."

"All right, then, it's settled," said Mario. Then another thought crossed his mind. "But won't he ask about Peach?"

"How about you say I'm on vacation and you couldn't reach me at the castle?" suggested Peach.

"Maybe," said Sean. "But where would you go? How would that work?"

"He is going to want to know where I am . . ." Peach brain-stormed for a moment. "But Junior can't go anywhere without his dad, and since Bowser's injured, he's not likely to strike for a while, much less decide to travel. So I'm thinking that Mario and I might just take another little trip to Isle Delfino."

Now it was Mario's turn to grin broadly. "So, a coup d'état and another vacation? That sounds good to me."

* * *

**Yes. Peach has doctors and a makeshift hospital room in her castle. And yeah, Mario's good with medical stuff too (and not just mega vitamin prescriptions ^^) **

**You guys do know what a coup d'etat is, right? Well I'm taking French so I'll explain it for the heck of it. It's basically a revolt. I guess Sean and Luigi aren't really standing up to Bowser, but they are betraying him by taking Katrina. That will happen soon. I'm not sure when. So the next three things I have to describe are (in no particular order):**

**~A day's work for Katrina in Junior's castle**

**~Mario and Peach's vacation**

**~Luigi's and Sean's adventure. That might take a chapter or two, depending on how long or suspenseful I want it to be. **

**When you review, answer one or more of these quesitons: Should there be a Junior battle between Sean, Luigi, and the aforementioned prince? Should something happen to Mario and Peach? How should Katrina be treated? Junior's a bit mean, and I'm sure he does want to do his father's will, but . . . something tells me he isn't as cruel. I don't know. **

**So, help me out, please! :) Thank you very much. Even if you can't think of anything, you will still receive a giant digital cookie.**

**PBTY  
**


	7. Jet Lands, Blood Pressure Rises

**Hello Yello. This is one of the rare times I'm going to be able to upload. High School is the Bowser I'm trying to fight right now in order to write and post these (as my algebra-two teacher says about our math book sections) bad-boy chapters. Please be patient with me. I won't be able to make any promises. :(  
**

**FYI, I got permission from brown-eyed-blondie (formerly known as dance princess 4-eva) to use one of her OCs. I'm not giving his name away, but you can find it at the end of this chapter.  
**

**Happy reading. And some comforting advice from Mr. Krabs:**

**"What doesn't kill you . . . usually succeeds in the second attempt."**

**And I hate to ruin your dreams, but my Biology book recently delivered some very sad and life-changing news to me and my classmates:**

**"It may come as no surprise to you, but you are not a pea plant."**

**It broke my heart as I told this to my friends. May God grant you peace as you pass this tragic statement on. You will heal eventually.  
**

* * *

Chapter Seven

"Steady, Sire," Kamek urged. "You're almost there." The old magikoopa was busy trying to help Bowser out of bed. Koopas usually heal pretty quickly, but, though Kamek was a bit slippery with them, he gave Bowser a healing spell to speed up his recovery.

"Can it, ya twerp." Bowser summoned strength and hauled himself off the bed, landing with a huge thump. He flexed his muscles boastfully. "Just in time to see my son. I'd hate to have him see me beat up."

"You have an awfully large amount of pride, Your Surliness," Kamek remarked with a chuckle, though his words were old news. He'd cared for the tyrant since the little guy was only one foot tall.

Bowser wasn't one for sentiments, compliments, merriment, or any joyful thing that ended with -ent. He had other things on his mind.

"Conjure up Sean's location," he growled. "That dork should have been back by now."

Kamek obeyed. Though the vision was a bit fuzzy, a close look into the realm revealed Sean and Luigi running to a warp pipe in World Six. Several Toad soldiers were seeing them off.

"WHAT?" Bowser bellowed. "Why is he bringing back Mario's stupid brother?" He banged his hulking fists on the bed. "I WANT THE PRINCESS!"

"Think of it this way, Sire: Maybe he kidnapped Luigi just to lure Mario here. This way, you'll have an easy shot at him . . . AND maybe even Peach," Kamek suggested with a malicious grin.

Bowser furrowed his bushy scarlet eyebrows. He didn't smile, but he liked the idea.

"Very well. Prepare a cell in the dungeon for Luigi, and quickly. They'll be here in a matter of hours."

"Yes, Your Highness," Kamek promised.

However, no matter how good his ESP was, Kamek couldn't have been further from the truth when he said Mario was on his way to the Dark Lands. Oh, sure, Mario was on his way, all right - to the airport with his princess. The two were going to take Peach's private plane to Isle Delfino, just as they'd planned.

* * *

The couple settled down in the comfy seats of the jet. The third seat was empty; Mario and Peach were shocked that Toadsworth wasn't begging to come along and keep an eye on the two. Yet, the couple couldn't have been more ecstatic to finally get away from the old steward at least once.

The plane began to take off. Peach took Mario's hand. Mario watched her hair catch a bit of the summer sun.

"I could kiss you right now," he joked after staring at her for five minutes straight.

"Go ahead," invited Peach. And they did.

"So what do you want to do first when we get there?" asked the red clad.

"Well, I'm not sure. You do remember that we're going to change into different clothes in the back, right?"

Mario was startled. "Uh, no, you didn't say anything about that." _And did I just see a tiny window in that bathroom door? Oh, please, God, let this be my imagination._ He blushed.

"Just so we're not noticed right away. Think of it as . . . covert operations." Peach turned and gave her love a wink. Then she noticed his strawberry-streaked face. "Are you okay?"

"Um . . ." Mario averted his eyes from Peach and glanced at the window. "I get nervous at high altitudes," he lied weakly. _She's too pretty_, he thought, wincing inwardly.

Peach shook her head and raised an eyebrow. "Nice try."

"In planes," Mario continued. "Otherwise, I'm fine."

"Right. Then explain to me how you were completely calm the last time we flew here."

"Simple. I was too busy concentrating on that succulent seafood."

"Uh-huh. And while you were doing that, I was caught up in noticing what we found out later was Shadow Mario, bouncing around in that camera shot."

Mario shook his head. "And then we found all that goop on the airstrip."

"And then you got arrested by those Piantas."

"And then . . . euggh, I don't even want to remember anything else."

Peach giggled. "You don't think Bowser will attack while we're here, do you?"

"What, on the island? Nah. He's probably stuck in his bed watching soap operas."

The two laughed hysterically at the thought of the almighty Bowser becoming emotional over a melodramatic TV show, finally letting their guard down.

* * *

Meanwhile, Luigi and Sean arrived in the Dark Lands. They stopped behind a warp pipe.

"Remember the plan?" Sean asked, wiping the sweat from his brow.

Luigi nodded and began to fish through Sean's knapsack. _With a few more touches, he could probably pass off as a ninja._

"All right," Sean cheered once the mini mushroom had used its charm.

Luigi grinned microscopically. "Let's-a-go," he squeaked, sounding like a chipmunk.

They walked the rest of the road up to the castle, which was about five miles away. They passed through the entrance without any hesitation or trouble from the guards. Luigi peeked over the lining of one of the knapsack pockets, observing the new milieu. Suddenly the plumber slipped and fell back into the pocket.

"Eep!" he yelped.

"What was that?" Bowser barked, narrowing his eyes at Sean.

"Uh, my ringtone, Sire. Sorry, I forgot to turn my phone on vibrate."

"Do that in your quarters. And a change of plans has been made. I'm afraid we're going to see my son tomorrow morning." A sly fang poked itself through the mutant's grin.

"No problem," said Sean. "I will be ready as ever."

"See that you are," Bowser warned, and watched carefully as Sean marched to his dorm. He and Kamek began walking down the west corridor.

"Your Surliness, why did you lie to that poor soldier?"

"UGH!" Bowser did a face-palm. "What are you doing out of your dorm, Aaron?"

"Why shouldn't I be out of my dorm?" Aaron retorted. "You told me to clean out your throne room."

"Right, whatever. Now get back there before I scorch you."

Aaron furrowed his eyebrows. "To the throne room or to the dorm?"

"THE DORM, YOU IDIOT! HOW MUCH OF YOUR CRAP ARE YOU GOING TO GIVE ME TODAY?"

"Relax, Sire," Kamek said in a soothing tone. "Blood pre-"

"ENOUGH! IF YOU WANT BLOOD PRESSURE, GO TAKE THE _PRESSURE_ FROM THE HEAT IN THE LAVA POOLS OUT THERE AND COLLECT YOUR _BLOODY_ SWEAT IN A JAR! BRING IT TO ME AND I'LL DRINK IT! THANKS FOR THE IDEA!" Abandoning every piece of their conversation, Bowser left Kamek. He gave one last glare at Aaron before rounding the corner to his throne room.

Aaron did as he was told and entered the dorm he shared with Sean. The vicinity didn't display much luxury. It had as much liveliness as a doctor's office, if any. In fact, the dorms bore a striking resemblance to the dungeons in the basement. The only difference could be summed up in three words: beds and blankets.

As soon as he stepped in, Aaron noticed Sean holding something tiny in the palm of his hand and actually speaking to it. The microscopic object appeared to be speaking and moving as well.

"Um, please tell me I'm not seeing things," said Aaron.

Sean reached in his bag and pulled out a super mushroom. He proceeded to feed it to Luigi, who grew back into normal size. "This is -"

"Someone's coming!" whispered Luigi fiercely as a shadow moved across the stone walls.

Sean ran into the bathroom. The other two men quickly followed suit, and the door shut with a _CLANG._

The guard stopped in front of Sean's and Aaron's bedroom. Hearing nothing suspicious (other than that heart-stopping slam of the door), he shrugged and went on his way.

But someone else heard something the other _g_uard didn't.

The bedroom d_oo_r opened with a barely audible creak, and the traitors' worst night_m_are on egg-shaped feet pattered up near Sean's _b_ed, then r_i_ght _n_ext to the bathroom door.

* * *

**Please review. After you do, may I suggest going to my profile for a little surprise? It begins with a p and ends with o-l-l. It's my first, so I'd love some feedback. :) **

**Did you figure out the name of the OC? If you didn't, here's my only hint:**

**guard**

**door**

**nightmare**

**bed**

**right**

**next**

**Look carefully at these words in the last two sentences of this chap. Have fun!  
**


	8. Caught Off Guard

**Woot! It's-a me. Happy Belated Turkey Day!**

**So, you guys have some new drama coming your way here. Enjoy!**

**Goombin is property of brown-eyed-blondie. All characters that you haven't seen in Mario before, such as Sean and Aaron, they're mine, thank you very much. All true Mario characters are still in Nintendo's clutches.  
**

_

* * *

_How interesting it was that Goombin was able to race down the hall to the throne room, what with his small, rounded feet. But he was on a mission, and there was no way he was going to keep this secret from Bowser.

The small creature stepped under the scanner light, and a long tube encased him. Several machines poked and prodded him for threats. The doors opened and out came Bowser, who had finally calmed down. Upon recognizing Goombin, he smiled wickedly and let him in.

Minutes later . . .

"Isle Delfino, eh?" Bowser asked.

"Yes, sir. I heard it all from what sounded like Mario's brother."

"Then he does know something. And this was in Sean's dorm?"

"Yes. He and Aaron did not seem to be trying to interrogate him, judging by their tone of voice. In fact, Luigi was relaying information to them quite calmly. And from what I observed, they all tried to hide when a guard walked down the hall."

Bowser slammed his fist in the table. Yes, _in_ the table. Goombin sweat-dropped. "Sir? What is troubling you?"

"I sent Sean on a mission several days ago to bring back the Princess, and what does he do but take Mario's brother instead. I know this because of Kamek. Mario and Peach are now in freaking Isle Delfino! They couldn't have been there without Sean knowing!"

"Either that or they left before Sean came," Goombin suggested.

"It doesn't matter! The point is, the castle is empty and Peach isn't there, and neither is my archenemy. And there isn't a soul in that place that matters to me except for Peach's." Bowser glared at Goombin, making sure he didn't misconstrue this information. Luckily, for his own sake, Goombin took the hint. "This ruins everything. The day I visit Junior is quickly approaching. I promised him I wouldn't be late this time, so there's no way I can go out of the country."

"What were you planning to do originally, Sir?"

"Take my army along with Junior's and kidnap the Princess, now that I'm well. It was the purpose of the trip, anyway. He still thinks I'm coming for some quality time. Heh, half the time he doesn't know I'm lying to him."

Goombin cackled. "I must say, your tactics are rather unoriginal, but you manage to take everyone by surprise."

Bowser glared at his recruit. "You're lucky I'm pissed at something else right now," he muttered angrily.

"You know, if I were you, I'd forget about Luigi and Sean and head straight for Mario and the Princess. It's not like either of them matter to your plan anyway, from what I gather. If they weren't worth crap in the blueprints, what good are they on the mission? And, too, maybe the Mushroom Castle's inhabitants as well."

Bowser raised his eyebrows. "You know, maybe this situation isn't as bleak as it was at first . . . and I think I know just what I want to do next." He rose from his over-sized desk, and so did his bravado, assuming a look that not even the Grinch could possess.

"If those peasants think what I've done so far was weak, they're sure in for a surprise."

"And by peasants . . . who do you mean, Sire?" Goombin questioned.

"You said it yourself just a minute ago," was all Bowser offered. He shoved a dazed Goombin aside as he barreled his way out the door.

* * *

"Beautiful," was all Peach managed as she stared into the sunset.

"Mm-hmm," said Mario, squeezing her hand. To Peach, he looked very deep in thought.

Peach bit her lip. "Are you troubled?"

Mario shook his head. "Just-a thinking," he replied, allowing some of his accent to poke through his speech.

Peach smirked. "Come on, Mario, I know you way too well. Talk to me."

Mario sighed heavily. "Well, what do you think will happen in a year or two?"

"Well, I certainly hope things will change."

"And if they don't?"

Peach smiled. "I'll still love you."

"That's what I'm getting at. I'm just wondering . . ."

"Wondering what?"

"Well, as soon as we figure out how to defeat Bowser, I'm just wondering if there's any possibility . . ."

"Of what? Tell me."

Mario blushed. This felt too awkward. "Peach, I don't want to promise that in a certain amount of time the world will be full of fluffy bunnies. But I promise I'll always love you. So even if things don't get better . . . will you think about muh . . ."

The surroundings began to twist, whorl, swirl.

"Muh? What are you saying, sweetie?" Peach asked, her voice strangely distorted.

"Maaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrr . . ." Suddenly Mario's vision doubled, and everything went black.

"AAAACK!"

He observed his surroundings. Dark hotel room. Bed. Soft blankets. Asleep. He was supposed to be asleep. Then that dream had to wake him up.

Mario groaned and buried his head in his trembling hands. "Why the heck does it always end there?"

* * *

Meanwhile . . .

"So we're clear on the plan, right?"

Luigi and Aaron nodded.

Suddenly an alarm blared.

Sean sighed. "Guess it's dinnertime." He rose slowly and led the other two men out. "All right, give me the cuffs."

A few uncomfortable moments later (Sean wanted to make sure Luigi looked like he was in pain . . . which he was due to the near maximum tightening of the handcuffs), the three walked out of the dorm. Aaron had a firm grip on Luigi's right shoulder. Sean walked stiffly beside them. Other soldiers watched, some confused, some greatly satisfied.

Once in the dining hall, Sean and Aaron shoved Luigi into a corner and took their seats.

Bowser stared everyone down as he sunk into his gargantuan seat. Then he ordered everyone to begin eating. Two guards closed and locked the entrance to the dining hall.

Luigi was breathing heavily as he hung his head.

Bowser suddenly got up. He walked over to where Luigi was crouched in the corner. "What are you doing here, plumber?" he growled.

Luigi nodded toward his friends. "They captured me and brought me up here."

"SEAN! AARON!" the Koopa King barked. "FRONT AND CENTER!"

The men obeyed. "Yes, Sire?"

"Take him down to the dungeon. And next time you capture somebody, bring him or her directly to me. I'll be keeping an eye on you. GOOMBIN! Help these three get to the dungeon. Cell 7."

"Yes sir." Goombin excused himself from the meal as Bowser ordered the guards to open the doors. The foursome began walking downstairs. Sean and Aaron were panicking inside, but they didn't say anything.

They arrived at the cell which Bowser had requested. Luigi pretended to look mournful and weary as he was pushed in. The metal door creaked spookily, but it didn't shut.

"Now," said Goombin, nodding toward the cell. He scanned the dank dungeon hall menacingly.

"Now what?" Aaron asked. Suddenly several dark shadows entered his vision.

"NOW, NOW, NOW!"

Guards, soldiers, and other recruits stormed in from all sides. They quickly backed all three men into Cell 7. Then Goombin shut the door. The entire thing must have only taken mere seconds!

"Goombin, what is the meaning of this?" Aaron yelled, gripping the cold steel bars.

Goombin cackled. "I can't believe you didn't hear. Tomorrow you two will be put on trial for treason. And as for Greenie here, he will stay in this cell until further notice. Any funny business and you'll be meeting the tasers."

"THIS IS NOT FAIR!" Aaron yelled.

"Oh yes it is," Goombin replied. "Bowser must have forgotten to mention that Spy Ears are extremely sensitive, especially when listening in on three men with a plan."

"That's impossible!" cried Luigi. "He wasn't even in the room!"

"Oh? Well, I was. And since I'm keeper of the intelligence around here (in more ways than one), it would be most disgraceful to hide something from the king that could ruin his plans."

* * *

Meanwhile, it was late afternoon on Isle Delfino, and the MK Couple was taking a walk.

"What are you trying to keep so secret from me? You've been acting weird all day." Peach was holding Mario's hand as they strolled the beach, but her countenance was troubled.

"My goodness, it was just a bad dream," Mario replied. "What are you so worried about?"

"I just don't know." Peach shook her head and looked off toward the ocean.

Mario sighed. "It's just not something I can tell you about right now. It's not the right time yet . . . I don't think."

Peach gasped and broke away quickly, taking several rushed steps forward. "You're darn right it's not the right time! I can't believe you were dreaming about _that!_"

Mario raised his eyebrows and hurried to catch up with her. "No, Peach, it wasn't anything like that. Nothing sick. But it did have you in it and it ended before I was able to . . ."

Peach turned around, suddenly sympathetic. "Oh, Mario, nothing like that is going to happen."

Mario looked up in surprise. "What? I thought you'd want it to happen."

"What, not being able to save me in time? I certainly do not!"

"No, Peach!" Mario exclaimed. Without warning, the words came tumbling out of his mouth: "My dream was that I couldn't bring myself to ask you to marry me! Every time I'd try to ask you I'd pass out! That's what happened!"

_Silence._

Mario was burning bright red. He was sure his sweetheart, as he called her, could hear his heart pounding. "I-I'm sorry."

Peach stepped carefully toward him. "You're sorry? Why? You know you don't have to be nervous around me."

"Do you really think I can help that? I go crazy when I think about asking you such a serious question."

"Well, I don't think you should worry, because right now, I don't think it would be a good time to get married. Bowser wouldn't be able to control his anger, let alone think straight." Peach looked at Mario calmly.

Mario felt his heart sink. "Right . . . yeah, we don't want to endanger anything."

"But - "

"There's a _but?"_

"Yes. Yours. It's cute," Peach whispered jokingly, wrapping her arms around his neck. "But know that when all this is over with, there should be no doubt in your heart that I will marry you. There's no doubt in mine either." She pulled back just enough to look into his eyes.

"Peach . . . "

"I love you. Do you love me?"

"Yes. So much."

"Then, Mario Mario, do you promise to marry me when the chaos ends?" Peach asked, smiling ecstatically. "Though we both know it never stops in these parts."

Mario laughed. "Peach, you are something. Yes, I do." And they sealed their promise with a kiss.

After they broke apart, Peach and Mario stared at each other, eyes wide, completely awestruck. It felt like an earthquake had just shaken their hearts, a silent _boom_ from the realization of what they'd just done. Peach was the first to break the warm silence. "Did . . . did we just get engaged?"

A sudden wave from the start of the high tide splashed them, and as the couple laughed, they hugged each other tightly. It was as if the Delfinian Ocean was assuring them that they were in reality, no ifs, ands, or cute butts about it.

But hundreds of miles away, a darker, more sinister ocean polluted with lava rocks was beginning to form a plan that would soon test everyone's faith.

* * *

**So unfortunately, as I try to struggle through my classes once again, I'm gonna have to make like Bowser after a kidnapping and stay secluded for a while as I try to come up with this next sinister plan. Muhaha.**

**Review, s'il vous plait.  
**


	9. Coming Along for the Ride

**Geez . . . how long has it been? Meh. Well here is chapter nine. It introduces two new characters named Hannah and Ryan. To give you a little background, they were sent to the MK to try and undermine Bowser. They are protagonists, though Hannah may seem a bit cold at first. And, as you will see, Hannah wasn't her name at first.  
**

**R&R, and anyone know where I can find a fast water buffalo that I can take to the store and spill some lima beans on the floor with? Unfortunately my parents didn't adopt one for me in time for Christmas. :( I'm thinking about sending a nasty letter to Archie and Larry saying, "Where's MY water buffalo? Why don't I have a water buffalo?" Well, maybe I won't, cuz Larry's not prepared for hate mail yet. VeggieTales ROCKS! WOOT-WOOT!  
**

**And which do you prefer: Best Paper Towel in Town or Best Paper Towel Around?**

**:)  
**

* * *

"Get in there!"

The weary girl and her boyfriend were driven into the cell by meaty, reptilian hands. The claws of the Troopas dug into the skin on their backs for punishment. One of the guards swiped his nails harshly against the girl's back, and there soon were four long, thin, painful cuts showing through her white shirt.

But she did not flinch. Not one bit.

"Don't start fooling around. We're short on cells so the two of you will have to stay in the same one," a Goomba reported strictly. "Stay quiet and there won't be any trouble."

The boyfriend looked sadly at his companion. He wore a loose black T-shirt with a Power Star on the back of it. Upon inspection of the Dark Lands, he and she were found just outside the gates of the country. And, thinking the couple was a threat, (mainly after seeing the Power Star on the boy's back), they were immediately taken into captivity by the Troopas on patrol.

She sat on the bed forlornly, eyebrows furrowed, countenance contemplative. He gave a silent death glare to the troops as they left.

"Now what are we gonna do, Hannah?"

"How am I supposed to know, Ryan? We're in Bowser's Castle in a jail cell, and while this is actually an exciting experience, we can't stay cooped up forever."

"Do you see how there's no way out?"

"Do you see the cuts on my back? Help me."

"I can't do that."

"And why not?"

"I-I'm not supposed to look at your back," Ryan replied, blushing.

Everything about Hannah was petite—her hips, her legs, her arms, her chest, her back. You could see her spine and when she was truly relaxed her ribs shown under her shirt. Hannah didn't like to eat much.

"Please. You've seen me in a swimsuit. Just tie your stupid sweater around your waist and fix my cuts."

Ryan blushed even harder. She noticed everything.

So, reluctantly, he rose and took out the mini packet of antiseptic and rubbed it on Hannah's cuts. Hannah shivered due to the sting. Her alabaster skin was covered in goose bumps.

"Eat something, please," Ryan urged. Hannah openly refused.

"I'm not hungry."

"That's the OCD talking. Eat something."

"No way. It's the claustrophobia. I can't eat when I'm nervous and in a cramped space like this."

"Hope—I mean—"

"I feel so desolate in this place. It's so devoid of hope. I don't see why you keep calling me by my former name at a time like this."

Ryan smiled weakly. "But I still love your name," he said sincerely.

Hannah shook her head. "It's my fault we're stuck here."

"No, it's nobody's fault. Something fishy is going on in this place and we were sent here to stop it. It's about time we wake up and focus."

"I _have_ been focused," Hannah shot back defensively. Her guard was up now.

Ryan drew back. "Just saying," he replied wistfully, staring out the window.

"Psst. Hey. You two. Blonde and brunette. Over here!"

Diagonally across from Hannah and Ryan were the three "traitors".

"Who's there?" Ryan spat protectively.

"I'm Aaron, this is Sean, and that's Luigi." Aaron's eyes were wide and he was breathing heavily. "I have claustrophobia too."

"Oh, good for you," Hannah droned sarcastically, stepping up to the door of the cell.

Luigi stepped in for Aaron. "Look, we're not trying to make trouble. We were sent down here three days ago and we're serving sentence for undermining Bowser."

"You were brought here because you seemed to pose a threat, correct?" Sean asked pointedly, but gently.

Hannah raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, we were. How do you know?"

"Aaron and I were captured along with our sister Katrina and put to work for Bowser. Katrina was deployed to Junior's castle. Since Bowser doesn't want any female employees around (well, maybe except Kammy), you might suffer the same fate."

Ryan grasped Hannah's shoulders. "What, are we gonna die?" asked Hannah.

"No, but it's more than likely you will be transferred," Sean replied grimly. "With any luck, maybe you could find Katrina and rescue her for us."

"Me?" Hannah pointed to herself quizzically. "Well, I want to help, but we're already in a lot of trouble. We're going to be taken to meet Bowser any minute."

"I realize that, but believe me, he's angrier with us than with you." said Luigi. Despite his usually optimistic nature, his facial expression turned dark. "We don't know if we'd be able to rescue Katrina anymore."

"I wouldn't talk of trying to escape if you're already serving time," said Ryan, no longer seeing the other men as a threat. "And, Luigi, you've been to this castle many times before, correct? I thought you'd know this place by now."

"No, I stay home and fend off Koopas that come to mine and my brother's house."

"Where's Mario? Can you contact him?"

"They took everything away," Aaron complained. "We don't even have our cell phones."

Hannah glanced at her boyfriend. "Excuse us," she told the three, and soon an abundance of whispers were heard.

The three other prisoners shrugged.

Soon, Hannah was facing them again. "Do not say a word. I'm going to contact Mario using my DSi."

Sean looked incredulous. "What? Are you crazy? It won't work down here."

"This baby is mine, so it will most definitely work." Hannah grinned deviously. "It doesn't take long to bypass a few filters in order to hotwire it to your preferences."

Sean, Aaron, and Luigi shared a troubled glance.

Hannah whipped out her DSi from her knapsack. She searched for Mario over her Wi-fi connection. The device beeped, initiating connection. Hannah lowered the volume and began to speak.

"Hello, Mario. My name is Hannah. I have a favor to ask of you."

* * *

"What?" Mario shared a worried glance with Peach. "That's horrible!" He listened a little while longer. "So you need me to do it? But I can't leave Peach. If she's alone there's more risk of her getting kidnapped."

"Let Peach come with you, then," Hannah offered.

"I don't know—"Peach swiped Mario's DSi from his hands.

"I will gladly be of service," Peach stated firmly. She shot the death glare to Mario. "It's about time Mario received some help from his damsel in distress."

Mario grabbed Peach's arm. "If this is going to involve a fight, you are NOT coming along. It's too dangerous."

Peach yanked her gloved arm away. "But we're not going to Bowser's Castle, we're going to his son's. And if there's one weakness inside Junior, it's that he can't resist his 'Mama's' commands."

"Are you sure you can talk him into letting Katrina go?" Mario questioned warily.

"Mario, I've been ruling for seven years. I think I know how to negotiate."

"Okay, both of you," said Ryan, chiming in. "Listen up. Here's what we planned—"

"Wait, wait, don't discuss plans verbally. Are you sure no one's down there with you?" Mario asked Ryan. Ryan nodded his head. "Send it to me via e-mail."

A few minutes later Mario received the mission:

**1) Grab items from every Toad house you can find**

**2) Buy disguises**

**3) Proceed to Junior's castle with the Warp Whistle**

**4) Slip inside**

**5) Find Katrina as stealthily as possible**

"And we're supposed to know where she is how?" Mario inquired.

"How am I supposed to know? Come on. You're Mario. You'll figure it out." Hannah heard a clang and shut off her connection without a word.

Mario shook his head. "Well, I guess we better get started." He grasped his fiancée's graceful hand. "Are you su—"

"Mario Mario. I am fully capable of helping you. I have a brain, you know."

"But—"

"Oh, shut up, Mario!" Peach pulled her hand away. "That girl is in a lot of danger, and it's going to take both of us to reach her as soon as possible. Let's get dinner and head out to get what we need."

Mario began to open his mouth once more.

"Do you _want _me to use my royal authority on you? I am princess regardless of our relationship, you know. I'll go alone if you're going to keep arguing with me."

Mario sighed and lowered his head. _Well, there goes another relaxing, well-deserved vacation._

_

* * *

_**Three cheers for Mario and Peach! **

**You guys will meet Katrina soon. Don't worry. :D**

**~YNMIdk  
**


	10. Chapter 10 sortakindanot really

**To be read in the monotone Head Pixie voice: Hullo, everyone.**

**I am so sorry that a) I haven't updated in a LONG time and b) this isn't another legit chapter. But I have reasons for both.**

**In the beginning, God said "Let there be high school so that everyone will learn to trust Me as they travel through four levels of pure torture." I am a participant in this plan, and as a student, though I do find time to procrastinate, I can't work on my story, which leads me to my explanation for part b.**

**My brain isn't hatching any new suspense ideas. Sure, I remember what happened last chapter but I'm not finding the will to build on it. It'll come, though I'm not sure when, so I must now say the dreaded H-word: hiatus. This story is now on hiatus until I come up with new ideas for it.**

**However, in the meantime, I am working on some new stories that involve babies and romance. Might as well get THOSE ideas into type while I still have them, non? And this will be served with a side of mature content. Yes, I have written a mature oneshot kind of as a filler but more like me getting the lemony stuff off my mental chest. You will see this and more soon. I am currently working on "Step Up to the Plate" and have started on "Our Turn." "Love the Way You Lie" is also a work-in-progress with four beautiful chapters, but this won't be posted for a long time because other events (aka MOAR STORIES) have to take place. You can find summaries for all three of these near the end of my dreadfully long profile.**

**With that, I bid you adieu, my friends. Thank you for your understanding. Again, I am truly sorry.**


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